Stars In Your Eyes (A Naruto: Shippuden Story)
by loveisforrrent
Summary: Sequel to Fell From My World! Continues with Ai, a girl from the "normal" world, has now lived three years in the Naruto world, training under Tsunade to become a medical ninja. What will happen after Naruto returns to the village and their team reunites? What has become of Sasuke? Will Gaara, Naruto, and Ai stay out of the Akatsuki's hands? Will Gaara finally stop hiding from Ai?
1. Chapter 1: I Missed You Quite Terribly

DISCLAIMER: I, of course, do not own Naruto.

 **This story takes place 2 and a half years after "Fell From My World."**

Ai will continue to portrayed by Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark).

Thanks for following Ai on her journey! Now she's older and the adventure only gets crazier...

~

I woke up early the day Naruto returned to Konoha, as if I knew he was coming. But I didn't know. I instead cursed myself for not sleeping in on my day off from training with Tsunade, and grumbled to myself as I got out of bed, unable to fall back asleep.

In the past three years, I had grown up quite a bit. My face had matured, I was slightly taller (a whole five feet one inch now), and I had filled out into a woman's body. And I had grown tremendously as a ninja. I displayed much promise as a medical ninja, my skills developing rapidly and impressively during my training with Tsunade. I had served several A-rank and B-rank missions, proving myself worthy as a Leaf shinobi.

The biggest reason for my growth as a ninja was my increased communication with Kokuo. Not only had she learned to trust me, seeing my investment for a more peaceful role on a ninja team, but she had become to aid me in my use of the chakra. We worked together so closely now, it was like our minds had merged together as one.

I got dressed quickly and left my house to go roam around Konoha; now that I was up, I was restless. I ran into Shikamaru shortly after I left. He was leaning against a sign to a fish market, looking bored. He hadn't changed much in the last couple of years, but he had become a proctor for the Chuunin exams so he had done a lot of traveling lately in preparations. He still hated to work.

"Heeeey," I said to my old and good friend, walking up to him. We knuckled-greeted each other.

"Oh, good, it's you," Shikamaru told me, lazily. "Temari asked for you to be here for our meeting today and I totally forgot to tell you yesterday."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. Temari came to Konoha often to work with Shikamaru on the Chuunin exams that the Sand Village was hosting this year. But when we spoke about Gaara, we usually talked in private.

In the past two and a half years, I had only seen Gaara three times, all for missions in which I was sent to the Land of the Wind. He was Kazekage so he never came to Konoha. When I saw him, always in meetings about the mission, he treated me no different than any other shinobi. He had become a very calm, level-headed person since becoming Kazekage. His job was important to him; I knew it gave him meaning. So I let him have his space and his time, thinking that one day, when the time was right, he'd initiate some type of relationship with me.

To be honest though, we hadn't touched (or kissed) since the day he had saved me from Kimimaro in the meadow...and it was driving me CRAZY. Because my feelings for Gaara hadn't faded. At all.

What gave me hope was seeing Temari so often, as she was the ambassador between the Leaf and Sand. She told me that every time she visited Konoha, Gaara never failed to ask her about me when she returned.

And we were older now: I, sixteen almost seventeen, and Gaara, eighteen. I had promised myself I would never push anything on him, but how many years did Gaara need to spend without me to realize he belonged with me?

Temari showed up a minute later, greeting Shikamaru with the normal flick-on-the-ear so she could continue to pretend she wasn't in love with him (she totally was). "Hi, Ai," she said. "Glad you could join us."

"Lucky I ran into you," I said, punching Shikamaru's arm.

"Getting beat up by girls before 9am," Shikamaru groaned. "My favorite way to start the day."

"You're so annoying," Temari said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I have news. We have deployed troops surrounding the Sand to keep an eye out for the Akatsuki. There has been rumors of them making moves, and their target right now is apparently Gaara."

 _So that's why she wanted me here._ "That's all we know?" I asked, disappointed. That told us nothing.

Temari nodded curtly. "For now. I expect as the Chuunin exam gets closer, more information will come available. For now, we wait."

It made me want to go back with her to the Sand. And help protect Gaara. But if the Akatsuki were beginning to target him, it was only a matter of time before Naruto and I were next on the list. And I hadn't even heard from Naruto in months.

My stomach twisted uncomfortably; when I thought about Naruto and Gaara, especially at the same time, I always felt sad. They had been away from me for so long...the two people I felt closest too...

"Thanks, Temari," I said politely. "Is…the Kazekage well-protected?" I glanced at Shikamaru, but he was rubbing his stomach as it growled, not paying a lot of attention to the conversation.

Temari gave me a knowing look. "Gaara is fine. He can protect himself."

I sighed. "Okay. It's just…for village relations…and um, politics…the Kazekage's safety should be made top priority. Right?"

The last word came out too high-pitched and hysterical, but Shikamaru _still_ didn't notice anything weird. Now he was scratching his foot.

Temari nodded, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Right. Anyway, the Kazekage hopes you are well, Tasura Ai. He...misses you."

"Did he say that?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Temari eyed me. "You know him. Gaara communicates in his own way."

Did I know him though? I hadn't spent all that much time with him, even knowing him for years now. Even for meeting him as a child. Did I _really_ know him? How could I love him how I did without really knowing him?

Suddenly, a hand clasped my shoulder from behind me. I turned in surprise to face Kakashi. "Come on, Ai. We have to go to the Hokage ASAP."

"Why?" I asked, curious.

"Someone's back in town," Kakashi said, grinning (underneath his mask). "And we've _got_ to make an entrance."

"I'll see you guys later," I told Shikamaru and Temari, already down for whatever this shenanigans was. If anything, it'd get my mind off of Gaara, which is something I tried to do everyday.

"Who's back?" I demanded, following Kakashi to the Hokage's headquarters away from town.

Kakashi's eyebrows shot up. "Naruto."

"WHAT?" I squealed. "He's back? When?"

NARUTO IS BACK?! THIS IS THE BEST NEWS I'VE GOTTEN IN TWO YEARS!

"Just now," Kakashi replied. "So what we are going to do is sit outside on the roof and then Tsunade is gonna tell him to look out the window. And we're gonna be there waiting for him. It'll be the _perfect_ reunion."

Kakashi hadn't changed much; he was still _extremely_ dramatic.

So we took the trouble of not using doors like normal people, but cat-crawling up the Academy building ninja-style until we landed on the bronze roof that was beneath the Hokage's windows.

"Jesus," I breathed, wiping beads of sweat from my forehead. But my heart was already beating fast at the thought of seeing Naruto for the first time in just about three years. _OMG._

Right on cue, Naruto burst his head out of the window, and his eyes immediately rested on us. We made eye contact, and Naruto jumped out onto the roof, pointing at me.

"OH!" he shouted.

"MY!" I yelled.

"GOD!" we both hollered, running towards each other.

We met in the middle, the impact of the embrace causing both of us to lose our footing on the slanted roof. We stumbled to keep on our feet, and I broke apart a few seconds later to look at him properly. He was tall...much taller than before. Still blonde, of course. But...he'd really grown up. He was handsome; his blonde hair, tan skin, and blue eyes coming together very nicely in addition to his tall, shaped frame.

"Look at you," I said tearfully. "You're so goddamn _tall_. And super skinny. You're a babe." I hugged his middle. " **Hello** , **I've missed you quite terribly.** "

Naruto flexed his muscles. "Feel my muscles. Seriously."

"Your voice is deeper," I said, wiping another tear from my eye. "Like a man's."

"I am a man."

"STOP! I CAN'T TAKE IT!"

Kakashi walked over, not liking being ignored. "It's me!" he shouted, coming in the middle of us.

Naruto grinned. "Sensei! I missed you also!"

Kakashi ruffled his hair. "Great to see you, kiddo."

Kakashi led Naruto and I back into the Hokage's office through the window. Naruto looked down. "Did you seriously climb all the way up here…?"

"Anyway!" Kakashi said. "Ai and Naruto, meet me at the Three Grounds later. We are going to have a battle, you two against me. See how much the two of you have really grown."

"Really?" Naruto asked. "Can't wait."

Naruto and I walked out together. "So, Ai!" Naruto exclaimed. "Tell me everything!"

I babbled on about being a medical ninja for a good ten minutes before I left Naruto have a turn. He just talked about being the Hokage the whole time it was his turn and how his journey the past couple years would help him do that. But I actually didn't mind. I had really missed him.

"Naruto, I heard some news this morning," I said, grabbing his arm. "The Akatsuki…you know, the organization that Itachi and that Kisame are in…well, they are starting to make moves."

"I know," Naruto said, his face falling. "Jiraiya has been keeping me updated. It seems as though Gaara might be in trouble. And then us."

"I never forgot what you said to me before you left," I told Naruto. "That one day we'd fight that battle together. Well…Gaara is one of us. And he's Kazekage now. We have to protect him. At all costs."

Naruto was surprised. "That Gaara…he's Kazekage? That's amazing," he said appreciatively. "One day, I'll also be Hokage."

"Okay, but do you understand what I'm saying?"

"What you're saying is you totally love Gaara. And who could blame you? He's Kazekage now and all. What a catch..."

My face turned red. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"What-ever," Naruto said. "You two are, like, perfect for each other. Can't believe you're not together yet. Okay, but Ai, seriously, wait until you see how strong I am."

"And how awesome I am," I chimed in. "You're gonna be totally impressed."

Naruto grinned. "Oh, sh*t. We were talking so long I totally forgot we need to meet Kakashi!"

"Oh, damn," I said. "Let's go!"

When we got there, Kakashi was waiting for us for a change. "You guys are _late_."

"Consider it payback for all the times you made _us_ wait," I sassed.

"Well, here we are. Half of the original Team 7. Sasuke has left us kind of broken, huh? Sakura isn't even here…" Kakashi drabbled.

Suddenly, Naruto and I stared off into the distance, thoughts of Sasuke leaving the village, abandoning our team, and betraying everyone we knew running through our minds, consuming our attention... Naruto even whispered, "Sa...suke...why'd you have to go..."

"HEY!" Kakashi yelled. "We're not giving up on Sasuke. Y'all are still real hung up about that, huh?"

I shook my head, trying to will away the thoughts. I tried not to think about Sasuke and what he was doing. "So, what are we doing here?" I asked Kakashi.

Kakashi held up two bells. A wave of nostalgia hit me, and he explained, "Same rules as last time. Just take a bell away from me. You have until sunrise tomorrow."

Naruto and I looked at each other and grinned. I tied my long, bright red hair back into a braid while Naruto tightened his Konoha headband. Kakashi lifted his headband up, exposing his Sharingan.

"BEGIN!"

It felt crazy to have woken up this morning and not knowing that I'd be reunited with Naruto, fighting with him against Kakashi-sensei. I felt truly in my happy place, and I couldn't wait to see what Naruto and I could do now, together.

Naruto summoned his shadow clones immediately (some things will never change), and he actively sought out Kakashi. With a brilliant tactic using a shadow clone, Naruto had Kakashi trapped within a minute. Then, Kakashi disappeared – merely, a clone.

"That was close, bud," I called encouragingly from the sidelines, cupping my hands around my mouth.

~

Little did we know that Jiraiya and Tsunade watched secretly from inside the forest. They were betting on which of us, Naruto or I, had made the biggest #gainz.

Tsunade was smacking her forehead. "What is she _doing_ right now? She's clueless!"

Jiraiya snorted. "Yeah, at least Naruto tried something."

Tsunade snorted back. "Yeah, what a success that was. Just wait. My girl is gonna come through."

~

"Okay, where'd he go?" Naruto shouted.

"Stay close to me," I said, jumping to his side. "So you're protected by the steam."

"Okay, watch this," I said, cracking my fingers back with my hands interlocked. "This is the new me."

I reared back my arm, then jam-packed a punch aimed for the forest floor. Using my steam to propel my taijutsu, I slammed my fist into the hard earth below our feet, creating extra power and strength beyond belief for a girl my size.

The earth cracked apart, earthquake-style beneath us, spreading all the way to the end of the clearing. The ground split apart, and Kakashi became visible in between two edges.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Naruto shouted, pointing at me. "YOU'RE SO STRONG! THAT'S NOT EVEN SAFE! HOW IS SOMEONE SO TINY THAT POWERFUL?"

"It's the steam, honey," I said, blowing the tips of my fingers to cool them off for dramatic effect.

Kakashi climbed out of the hole. "So, dang. Tsunade has been training you outside of the medical field," he observed.

"You wanna play hide-and-go-seek, Kakashi? Then let's play," I said, crossing my arms threateningly.

Kakashi ran off into the woods, and Naruto and I in unison sprang in pursuit. We caught up with him in the middle of the forest, throwing weapons so that he'd know we were upon him.

I caught up to him and went in for the taijutsu, summoning my steam chakra to my hands expertly, knowing that even one punch would injure him greatly. Kakashi dodged every attack, throwing his offenses my way. Fighting with him viciously and as an equal felt…unreal.

Naruto took over, seeing an opening, and Kakashi struggled to keep up with both of us. Kakashi trapped Naruto in a jutsu, sending him flying, and then looked around knowingly for the real Naruto.

Kakashi dodged a flying attack from Naruto while I successfully landed a steam-packed hit into his chest. He cursed, clutching the spot. Naruto landed at my side, and we exchanged a victorious grin.

"It's like you guys never stopped fighting at each other's side," Kakashi said approvingly.

Naruto burst into shadow clones again, but this time more than I had ever seen him produce. Everywhere in the forest I looked there were clones. Naruto had a lot of chakra to spare, like me.

His clones kept Kakashi busy in the middle while I sent another steam-packed hit to the ground, breaking up the earth around us so that each of us stood on platforms in between the cracks. Kakashi fought to keep his balance and looked at us wearily.

"I certainly have my hands full, don't I?" he repeated from the first day we all met each other.

"Let's do this," I told Naruto.

Naruto began to summon his Rasengan, using his clone to perform the circular motion necessary to rev it up to full potential. I also summoned my steam to my hands, charging it up to perform my deadly jutsu: Boil Release.

"Together," Naruto said, nodding.

"Together," I agreed, my hands burning.

We ran at Kakashi full force, not holding anything back. This was our chance to show our strength. Kakashi hid directly behind a tree so our jutsus smashed into the tree first, obliterating it to bits, but we reached straight through smoke when hitting Kakashi.

"Damn! Another clone!" Naruto cursed.

Kakashi proceeded to use an earth, water, and fire jutsu consecutively, catching Naruto and I completely off guard. Luckily, my steam sprang to our defense, and every flame, wave, and speck of dirt was deflected.

"Copy Ninja, I get it now," I said, shaking my head. "Look. You can't use your Sharingan all night. What are you gonna do?"

Kakashi looked like I had a point. "Gotta go." And he disappeared into the trees.

"He's stalling!" Naruto complained. I looked over at him, _up_ at him rather, and once again admired how tall he had grown up to be.

Then I had an idea. "Let's find him! I think I know how I can get the bells!"

We located Kakashi a little while later, sitting at the base of a tree, planning his next move, no doubt. I whispered to Naruto, "Okay, I'm going to sneak up on him. Make a try for the bells. When he notices me, _if_ he notices me, you come in. Got it?"

Naruto nodded in silence, and I crept away from him moving silently and swiftly, being careful to not make a sound. Tsunade had found out quickly that my smallness was an asset, and she trained me to move so lightly on the balls of my feet that the ground barely even detected my movement and weight. The ultimate sneak attack.

As I got closer to Kakashi, I dropped to all fours, and crawled foot by foot, hand by hand, making my movements purposeful and suave. Sure enough, I reached the same tree he was behind without him detecting me. I reached out my arm to grab the bells.

He jumped up, but Naruto had already come in for the kill, pinning Kakashi down. Before Kakashi was back on his feet, Naruto and I had gotten our fingers on a bell.

We held them up for all their glory, praising to the heavens. Kakashi jumped to his feet, shocked. Then, Tsunade and Jiraiya jumped out of the bushes, causing Kakashi, Naruto, and I to all jump five feet in the air.

"I WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO DO THAT ALL NIGHT!" she exploded at me. "You could've have them within the first ten minutes of the game!"

"I forgot!" I shouted back. "CAN'T YOU JUST BE PROUD OF ME?"

"UGH!" Tsunade shouted at me.

"UGH!" I shouted back.

Then we grinned at each other and Tsunade gave me a hug.

Jiraiya and Naruto exchanged a bewildered look at our exchange. Then he clapped Naruto on the back. "Well done, son."

All of a sudden, out of _nowhere_ , I felt a weight drop in my abdomen. My mind felt like it was flickering in and out, between here and somewhere else, but I couldn't see what was happening. I dropped to my knees, causing the group around me to gather around in concern.

"I…something's wrong," I choked out. I clutched at my chest, where a pain seemed to be growing. "It's her…it's Kokuo. Something isn't right. Somewhere."

Naruto knelt down next to me. "Ai…could it be? Is Gaara in danger?"

Naruto had been there when Kokuo and the Shukaku within Gaara had revealed themselves to each other, and their conversation heavily suggested they were some type of soul mates, containing an unbreakable bond.

If Kokuo was causing me this much pain, it was for a reason. And that reason might just be that the Akatsuki had found Gaara sooner than any of us had expected.


	2. Chapter 2: All In My Head

The pain subsided some minutes later, but the sinking feeling that something, somewhere was going very wrong didn't fade. I stood up, slightly sweating, but otherwise physically okay. I had just this horrible unshakable feeling of dread.

Seeing that I wa now okay, Tsunade informed Naruto and I that we were now on Kakashi's team for future missions. That made me really excited, but suddenly I just felt exhausted. Like I might pass out.

"I beg your leave," I said to the group, making them even more worried about me. "I think I need to sleep."

"Naruto, bring Ai home safely, please," Tsunade said, pressing her head feeling my temperature one more time.

"What is it, Ai?" Naruto asked as he walked me home.

I shook my head. "I really don't know. I just have this horrible feeling inside."

Naruto helped me get inside. I crawled into bed. "I really hope Gaara's alright," I said, starting to feel myself get really worried. "I just have this feeling he's not."

I fell into a very restless sleep that night, tossing and turning. In the morning, I made myself crawl out of bed, but the feeling hadn't really gone away. As I walked downstairs, I realized Naruto had slept on my couch. _Aw._

Naruto woke up as I grabbed myself a glass of water. I leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping it, as Naruto popped his head up from the sofa. "Oh, hey," he said sleepily. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I smiled at him. "Thanks. I think I'll ask Temari to write me once she's back in the Sand," I said, looking out the window. "Just to make sure. I'm gonna try to catch her before she lives."

Naruto nodded and climbed to his feet. "I'm gonna go home and shower before our first mission! Meet you at the Academy."

We both left my house. I knew Temari left early after the days she visited Konoha, so I rushed to the front of the village. Sure enough, Shikamaru was seeing her off right as I jogged up to the gates.

"Temari!" I shouted after her.

Temari looked back, surprised. "Yes?"

"I…uh…could you maybe send a message once you get back? I have this, like, bad hunch and it'd be nice to know everything is okay over there."

Temari shook her head. "You really care about him, don't you? He's a fool for making you wait."

I didn't know how to respond. "So, will you?"

Temari nodded. "I will. I'll tell him to write you himself too."

I sighed, smiling at her. "Good lass. Thanks, girl."

Temari waved and continued on her way. Shikamaru was looking at me strangely. "What is up with you and Gaara? Or the Kazekage, I should say?"

I rolled my eyes. "So if you have to ask, you'll never know."

We saw a black raven pass over our heads, holding a scroll. We both watched it fly over us, heading towards the back of the village. "Wonder what that could be," Shikamaru said. "Looked important."

"I'm gonna find out," I stated firmly, feeling like it just might hold the key to my intuition. I was supposed to meet Kakashi and Naruto at the Academy for our mission soon anyway.

I jogged towards the Academy, quickening my pace until I was basically sprinting. When I got there, I already knew something was up. There were ninjas running to and fro in a frantic manner. I ran to Tsunade's office, needing answers, trying to make myself stay calm and not assume the worst.

"Hokage!" I called, bursting open the doors. "Is something going on?"

Tsunade was standing at her desk surrounded by village officials. She had a scroll laid out in front of her. Her big brown eyes lifted to meet mine, heavy with concern. "Ai, what are you doing here?"

"Possibly meeting Naruto and I here for our mission," Kakashi spoke. He was one of the ninja near Tsunade, reading the scroll over her shoulder. "Which I think is a change of plans now."

"HEY!" yelled Naruto, running into the room. "Everyone is acting CRAZY up in here!"

"What is it?" I demanded and this time I couldn't help but assume the worst.

Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. She didn't look me in the eye anymore. "Ai, I need you take this information calmly. The Kazekage has been taken by the organization called Akatsuki."

My hand flew to my mouth in horror. "No," I whispered. "Oh my God, no." I felt my whole body sink, and it took all my effort to remain standing on my weak legs, my shaking knees, my trembling muscles barely holding up.

Tsunade knew how I felt about Gaara. I had confided in her a year and a half ago after I had seen Gaara for the second time and nothing, again, happened between us to insinuate there was something more than just an alliance between two villages, two ninjas collaborating on a mission, all business. She knew that I would wait for him until he was ready. She knew that I loved him.

"The Hidden Sand has asked for our help," Tsunade continued. "Kakashi, I am assigning your team to the mission. Go to the Sand, provide them back-up, return the Kazekage at all costs, and then report back to us the status."

Shizune, Tsunade's assistant, immediately spoke up. "Hokage. Do you think that's a good idea? Feeding the Akatsuki two more Jinchuuriki?"

Tsunade shook her head. "This is a time of emergency. They are the ones who can understand Gaara the most."

"I _have_ to go," I agreed. Tsunade already knew there was no chance I wouldn't do something about this.

 _Gaara was taken. By the Akatsuki. If we didn't get there in time, then the Akatsuki would take the Shukaku from him. And if they did, Gaara would die._

"We have to move," I said suddenly. "We need to leave now. Let's go."

Kakashi turned to me. "Ai, you need to stay calm," he reminded me again. "We need you at your best right now."

I nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. I couldn't save Gaara if I wasn't at my best. So I needed to listen to Kakashi and calm down right now. I needed to save Gaara at any cost.

My hands trembled as I fought to keep the rest of me calm. _Gaara was everything to me,_ I realized. And though he had basically kept his distance the last couple of years, I knew that we meant a lot to each other, and it wasn't **all in my head.**

Naruto was also feeling jumpy. "Those b*stards. We will definitely get Gaara back!"

I turned to him, instantly grateful for his confidence. "Yeah."

Kakashi nodded. "I know Gaara is important to both of you. Then let's not waste any more time."

With that, we headed directly for the Land of the Wind, leaving for the Sand Village with only the weapons we collected at the Academy and the clothes on our backs. Naruto and I were lost in thought on the way there, thoughts of rescuing Gaara on the forefront of our brains.

"How could they take Gaara?" I exploded out of nowhere. "He's so strong. Seriously. He's only gotten stronger, Naruto. You wouldn't believe how powerful he is. So how did these _Akatsuki_ creeps take him?"

"The Akatsuki are more powerful than you think," Kakashi said simply. "Do not underestimate them."

"Temari!" I suddenly exclaimed, seeing her walking below the trees we were kicking off of. The three of us jumped down in front of her.

"Did you hear yet? Do you know?" Naruto demanded.

"Hear what?" she said, alarmed at seeing the three of us rushing towards the Land of the Wind.

"It's…Gaara…" I managed to get out.

Her face changed to utter pain. " _What's happened?"_

"Come with us," Kakashi said. "We need to move fast. Gaara has been taken by the Akatsuki and there is no time to waste."

Temari nodded, looking as torn up as I felt inside, and joined our group as we flew through the forest to get to the Sand village as soon as we could.

"Why is it you two chasing after him?" Temari asked us, her face set in a cold, hard stare. "If Gaara was targeted, you two are basically surrendering yourselves to these people."

Naruto shot back, "We're not planning on giving ourselves up that easy."

"And like hell I'd stay behind knowing Gaara's in danger," I told Temari hotly.

Temari looked at me with wild eyes. "Then Ai, promise me you'll get him back?"

I turned to look at her too. "Why do you want _me_ to promise that?"

"If anyone can save him, you can."

I didn't question her anymore because I believed her words myself. I truly believed that no one cared for Gaara like I did or would ever love him like I did. Maybe it was naive to think that, but at the same time, that's how strongly I felt.

And I sped up ahead of the group even faster, not bearing to think of what could be happening to Gaara right now or where he was. I just needed to get to him.

Naruto caught up with me, matching my energy. "The closer we get to the Akatsuki," he admitted to me, "the closer we get to Sasuke. Orochimaru used to be a part of the Akatsuki, and Itachi is in it."

"Orochimaru was? Of f*cking course," I said back, surprised. "He really gets around, that sl*t." I seriously hated Orochimaru, the murderer of my parents and the man who basically tempted Sasuke away with revenge like a creeper tempting kids with candy. Then I glared at Naruto. "Gaara is in utter peril, and all you can think about is Sasuke right now?"

"You don't think about Sasuke?" he asked me back, surprised. "Based on how he used to act, I thought you guys had, like, a thing." And suddenly his tone changed to accusing.

"No, we didn't. We kissed, once," I admitted honestly. "And before he left, he asked me to tell him that I love him. Like it would've changed his decision or something. But of course I couldn't. Not if it wasn't true."

"You _don't_ love him?" Naruto asked me.

I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head firmly. "No, Naruto," I said, annoyed. "You know how I feel about Gaara."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Good, good. I just...God, I miss him so much sometimes."

This was unusual, for Naruto to be so vulnerable with him feelings.

I told Naruto, "You know how you feel about bringing Sasuke back to Konoha? That's how I feel about bringing Gaara back. If you help me get Gaara back safely, I promise I won't stop until we bring Sasuke back."

Naruto looked over at me with shiny eyes. "Wow, pinky promise?" He extended his pinky finger.

I interlocked it with my own pinky. "Pinky promises, and these kind of promises are no joke. No joke at all, my friend."

Naruto nodded seriously. "I know."

It took two days to get to the Sand with small rest breaks in between. It was the worst two days of my life; all I did was worry and anguish and sleep never came without a serious fight. And when it did, nightmares filled my mind.

The night before we arrived at the Sand, I woke up to Temari shaking me. I was in a cold sweat, drenched from my head to my feet. "Ai…Ai…" she was saying. "It's okay. It's just a dream."

I felt my face wet with salty tears that spilled into my mouth. I sat up and rocked back and forth, silently sobbing. "Gaara," I whispered. "Why did they do this to you?"

Temari rubbed my back comfortingly while I let myself have my quiet cry. After a few minutes, I thanked her and waited up until daybreak when we could move again. It made me feel better at least to get some of my feelings out; I felt trapped and helpless knowing I could do nothing right now to help him.

We arrived in the Land of Sand hours later. We were greeted at the gates, and two shinobi led us straight to Kankuro who was in critical condition in the hospital. They explained his status to Temari, and I listened in. Finally, I could put my medical training to real use.

When we arrived in Kankuro's hospital room, the first thing that happened was this old granny next to Kankuro's bed charged at Kakashi, calling him White Fang. She seemed to realize halfway there that it wasn't who she thought it was, and she scratched her head, looking confused.

"Who's this old fart?" Naruto blurted.

I resisted the urge to snort.

"Told you they'd send pipsqueaks," the old granny muttered to herself.

"Heard that," I snapped. "I'm five feet and one inch. I _will_ destroy you." I tried to sound frightening.

Kankuro gave a cry of pain, and I instantly snapped to attention. I ran over to the bedside. "Give me some space to work! Let me do my magic!" I ushered the crowd away from the bed.

"She's a medical ninja," Temari explained.

I took a look into his eyes, prying open the lids, checking for irritation or infection. Then I opened his mouth, sticking two fingers inside. "This is kind of gross," I admitted, my first time actually performing these practices on a real person.

I pressed my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was slow. The blood was thin, that I could tell. "It was a metal-based poison," I told the group. "Destroys the cells. The cardiac muscle will be the first to go. We need an antidote."

"Whatever you need, we'll get it," the Sand medical ninja told me.

I jotted down a list on his clipboard of what I'd need to prepare the concoction to heal his muscle tissue before his heart stopped beating. "As fast as you can," I told them.

It didn't take them long, and soon, I was administering the antidote into Kankuro's chest, pressing the chakra into the area just above his heart. The Sand medical team and Temari watched around his bedside in awe.

"The toxin will be absorbed soon," I explained, keeping my hand on his bare chest. "And extracted." Soon enough, the dark colored toxin came out of his body and into my hand.

"Ooh," they chimed. "Aah."

I repeated this step several times all over his upper body, wherever I sensed the poison had spread. It was kind of awkward touching Kankuro's half-naked body, but I knew as a medical ninja I'd have to get over these squeamish instincts.

An hour later, I declared that Kankuro was in stable condition. Temari looked utterly relieved. Naruto and Kakashi came into to look at him. Naruto squeezed my shoulder excitedly.

"You're amazing!" Naruto told me.

The granny came in too. "Wow. You remind me of the Leaf's Hokage. A lot of knowledge in that small little girl. Where do you keep it?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Tsunade has trained me. It's **all in my head**." I pointed to my brain.

Temari told the granny, "Chiyo…don't be so cross with her. Gaara cares for her."

"Gaara…cares for a girl? Yeah right," the granny said, rolling her eyes like a teenager.

"So what information do we have?" I asked Kakashi, ignoring the old woman. "How do we pursue the Akatsuki?"

"Let's go to the place where Kankuro battled," Kakashi told a Sand Jounin called Yura. I knew of him from previous missions with the Sand. "And we are getting more Leaf back-up to help us with the Akatsuki when the time comes. We wait for them to get here."

" _Wait?"_ I shrieked. "We can't _wait!"_

"Ai, we have no idea where we are going. We are going to try to track them from the site of battle and in the meantime, wait for our reinforcements."

"I'm going to make an antidote," I said, throwing my hands up. "I need to keep busy or I'm going to go crazy."

I retreated to the lab next door where I began gathering medicinal herbs to make Kankuro's healing potion. I ground the leaves of the plants with fury, furious I had to wait. What was happening to Gaara? I stopped my movements, gripping the cool, metal counter until my fists turned white.

"Are you okay, Miss Ai?" a medical ninja asked me.

I sighed, letting my breath out slowly. "Yes. Let's continue."

Two ninjas helped me make the formula, and when I was done, I came back to make Kankuro drink it. "You know, you look weird without your purple makeup," I told him.

He looked up at me. "Of course you'd come. Temari told me how obsessed with Gaara you are."

"Kankuro!" Temari scolded. "I didn't say that. I didn't say 'obsessed.'"

Kankuro coughed, trying to get the medicine down his throat. "It's okay, don't be embarrassed." He coughed again. "He's completely obsessed with you too. Like he'd ever admit it though."

It still felt nice to hear from his brother.

Kakashi entered the room. "Ai, let's go. The ninja dogs have found the Akatsuki hideout."

I snapped to attention, not able to unpack what Kankuro's words meant. "Let's go," I said quickly. I said to Kankuro, "I _will_ bring Gaara back."

Kankuro nodded. "If anyone can, you can." _Same as Temari had said._

I left to group up with Naruto and Kakashi outside of the hospital. The granny, Chiyo, from before walked up to us slowly. "What do you want, granny?" Naruto shot at her suspiciously.

She grinned. "I am coming too. For I am a shinobi. And if Gaara really is so fond of you, I need to make sure you are worth the Kazekage's while."

"Oh, honey, I'm worth it," I said, snapping my fingers.

"Let's just go," Kakashi said miserably.

So the four of us, a rather odd group, set off together, following Kakashi and his knowledge of the location of the Akatsuki headquarters. Where Gaara was.

I felt considerably lighter knowing I was heading towards where Gaara was. I was going to make sure he was okay, no matter what the cost.

Chiyo spoke to us on the way. "I find it strange that the Leaf send their two Jinchuuriki for this mission," she iterated.

"Naruto and Ai are very close to Gaara," Kakashi explained. "As well as being excellent shinobi."

"How'd you know I was a Jinchuuriki?" I demanded.

"Everyone knows now," Chiyo said. "But we didn't know for years where the Five-Tails was. But eventually, the Akatsuki found out. Through Orochimaru."

 _Of course that b*stard would give me away. That's why he went crazy years ago recognizing me during the Chuunin exams._

"I knew who you were at once," Chiyo said. "The Five-Tails, huh…a legacy. Like the Nine-Tails. But the Five-Tailed beast and the One-Tailed have a special relationship…"

"You know about the Five-Tails and the One-Tail? What do you know?" I asked her, surprised.

"They have a history," Chiyo said simply. "Since the birth of the tailed beasts, they have been each other's opposite. For the Five-Tails is the moon, deep, thoughtful, calm, peaceful. And the Shukaku is the sun, fiery, short-tempered, overwhelming, prideful. And they are drawn towards each other yet also pushed away...forever destined to love one another, never to be together."

I took all of this in. It made sense. Did Gaara know this? Is that why he rather keep me at a distance? Because our tailed beasts were...so intertwined? I had known Gaara was in trouble before I had really known; Kokuo had sensed the Shukaku was in danger. But I hadn't trusted my instinct fast enough. And then it hit me - Gaara had. He had sensed I was in danger years ago with Kimimaro in the meadow. And he had came to save me. And now I might be too late.

Then, a blur of black and red blocked our path. Red glowing eyes beneath raven black hair.

"Sasuke?!" Naruto cried out.

"You idiot," I muttered. "He's taller than Sasuke."

"Sasuke could be taller now!" Naruto argued. "It's been years since we've seen him!"

"It's Itachi!" I cried out impatiently. "YOU'VE MET HIM BEFORE!"

"Oh, yeah," Naruto said. "B*STARD! You're the REASON that Sasuke LEFT!"

Itachi laughed. "Oh, Naruto. You're so cute." His red eyes landed on me. "But not as cute as Ai. Oh, my, my pretty, you've grown up to be a very lovely young...woman. I can't wait to see how you've improved."

"Don't talk to her!" Kakashi said, activating his Sharingan. "Everyone! Look away from his eyes. He specializes in genjutsu."

"I _hate_ genjutsu," I said, casting my eyes down to the grass. My steam surfaced to right beneath my skin, boiling, stewing, waiting for the moment when I'd need it, defensively or offensively. "It's my least favorite thing."

"Why is that?" Itachi asked.

"It's the most cowardly way to fight," I said. "But hey, just an opinion over here."

"Heard from Sasuke recently?" Itachi purred at us.

Naruto became tense beside me. "Have you?" Naruto demanded back at him.

"What, like he'd send me a postcard or some sh*t?" Itachi scoffed sarcastically. "Who knows where he is, dead for all I know…"

"I'M GONNA GET HIM BACK!" Naruto shouted. "HE'S STILL ALIVE! I KNOW HE IS!"

"Uh huh. That's sweet. Anyway. Looks like I need to keep you guys from finding Gaara," Itachi said, putting his hands together.

"Keep your eyes down," Kakashi warned again.

"You're not going to keep us from him!" I yelled at Itachi. "And I will make you SUFFER for doing this."

"Oh…ohmiGod. Could it be? Ai…Gaara…oh, _man_ , does Sasuke know about this? Is that why he left those years ago?" He laughed, shaking his head. " _The plot thickens."_

"I'm not going to dignify you with a response," I said to Itachi. "So where's your fishy friend?"

"Fighting your reinforcements," Itachi replied.

"Who's that?" I asked Kakashi.

"Gai's team with Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten." Rock Lee had become a ninja again after his surgery years ago, a damn good one at that. Neji was now a Jounin. As a team of four, they were absolutely formidable.

"He doesn't stand a chance then," Naruto said, reading my mind. "Just like you don't stand a chance against us."

Kakashi decided to back-up Naruto's statement with some hard evidence. He pulled up his headband, revealing his Sharingan to Itachi. "Okay, guys. Get ready."

"This is so perfect," Itachi's voice carried over to us as we continued to avoid his eyes. "Naruto-kun and the lovely Ai. I can't wait to take both of you…maybe at the same time?"

"Not going to happen," Kakashi said evilly.

"I've already got Naruto in my genjutsu."

"What?" I gasped and turned to look at Naruto. He was frozen in place, eyes straight ahead, locked on some target I couldn't see myself. "No! Naruto! NARUTO! WAKE UP!"

"Guess we'll take him first," Itachi said. "I was trying to get Ai this whole time, but she's a little harder to reach for some reason. Guess the Five-Tails is pretty good at shielding her. That's sure helpful, isn't it?"

"Don't talk about her!" I screamed at Itachi. "She knows what you want from her! And we'll work together to never let that happen!"

Itachi scoffed. "So the two of you are what, like, friends now? How precious."

Suddenly, Naruto woke out of the genjutsu. I sighed with relief. He looked really shaken. "Naruto!" I exclaimed and he looked at me. "You were in a genjutsu, but you're not anymore. It's okay now."

"I saw you there…and Sasuke…"

I touched his face. "Naruto, it wasn't real." I hovered over him, concerned.

Naruto nodded slowly. "Oh…kay…"

Itachi shot a fireball jutsu at us, and I barely had time to react. I ran to Naruto, my steam shield blocking the fire from reaching us.

Kakashi jumped over and touched my shoulder gently. "Ai, you can't baby him anymore. He doesn't need you to."

I bit my lip. "Okay. You're right."

Itachi sent another fireball jutsu, and it was much bigger and powerful than the last. Since we were standing together, I shot both my arms out in front of me, sending the steam to meet the fireball before it reached us. It was deflected upon impact.

"Oh, the Five-Tails is strong," Itachi said, nodding. "No denying that. How will I reach you? Impenetrable and not easily captured in a genjutsu. Hmmm."

"No more genjutsu," I complained, and extending my arms again so that steam hissed out of my fingers, filling the air with a thick smoke.

Soon, the entire area around us was full of mist, so thick you couldn't see very far past you. Chiyo went to retreat into the forest behind us. Kakashi and Naruto disappeared, trying to come up to Kakashi from behind while I worked my magic.

Suddenly Itachi spoke again. "What's happening? What kind of chakra is this?"

"It's my steam," I replied, walking closer to Itachi. "Duh."

"But what is it doing? For example, why can I not use any of my chakra?"

"My steam is very defensive," I said, shrugging. I was only a few feet away from him. "It is literally blocking you from using any chakra as it surrounds you."

"How convenient," he said through gritted teeth. "A little brat with a bunch of power and I bet you don't even know how to harness it."

"What am I doing right now?" I retorted.

Suddenly, Naruto and Kakashi came up from behind him and slammed him with a powerful attack, a plethora of chakra bound up in their hands. Itachi flew back and into the ground, causing a lot of rift in the earth.

We ran over to see if he was truly out or not. But upon reaching him, we realized it really wasn't Itachi at all. Chiyo came over and gasped at the body.

"You know him?" I asked.

"Yes. Yura. A Jounin in the Sand."

We shook our heads sadly, and then I looked to see Naruto clutching his head. "Naruto…what…"

"My first kill," Naruto said, shivering. "My Rasengan is what hit him."

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's keep moving."

"They will be extracting the One-Tail by now," Chiyo said, way too casually.

"THAT MEANS GAARA IS DYING!" I screamed before I could help myself.

Naruto took my hand, calming me down. "We made a promise. We're going to get Gaara back first."

 _And then I'll help you get Sasuke back. Okay, Naruto. I'm counting on you._


	3. Chapter 3: Without You

Kakashi insisted that we make camp for a few hours. We were still too far to keep traveling without rest. I put up a fit but was eventually overruled. Rest was necessary, Kakashi had argued. And what was I going to do, go ambush Akatsuki alone?

I tossed and turned, forcing myself to get some sleep, and had a horrible dream.

A vision of Gaara surrounded by a blue, ominous glow. He was bent backwards, limbs flying out, and he looked like he was possessed by some real demon. His eyes glowing red, his mouth wide open in pain, choking out chakra the color of blood. _NO! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!_

I woke up in a cold sweat, clutching at my heart to slow down the rate at which it was beating. "Oh, God," I said, putting my head between my legs. "Please, Gaara. Don't die on me. Please."

Kakashi was already awake, finishing getting dressed. "Ai. Let's get going."

Those were the words I needed to hear, and soon the four of us were moving again, getting closer to Gaara.

Chiyo traveled between Naruto and I. She looked at us both back and forth. "Two Jinchuurikis going right to the Akatsuki. Not even from the Sand village. You must really care for Gaara."

Naruto nodded. "I feel like only I can understand him. He doesn't deserve this. Not after all he's been through and finally becoming Kazekage."

"Gaara isn't evil like people think he is," I added. "He really wants to do what's best for people around him. That's why the Sand village is so lucky to have him."

"Damn, you kids are deep." Chiyo sighed. "I have something to confess."

"What?" I asked curiously.

"I am the one who sealed the One-Tail into Gaara."

"Really?" Naruto asked, eyes wide. "Well, sh*t."

"Yes. It's true. I thought I was protecting everyone. But I really just ended up hurting Gaara. The One-Tail is not an easy one to host. Well, neither is the Nine-Tails," Chiyo added to Naruto. "But the One-Tail is a straight-up bully."

"Kokuo is actually kind of peaceful," I said dreamily. Naruto gave me an annoyed look. I shrugged innocently. "She's chill, you know?"

Chiyo shook her head. "I've caused that boy a lot of pain. And since he's met you two…well, I've seen that pain subside. Guess y'all are something special, huh?"

Gaara found himself submerged into white nothingness. It was peaceful here, and calm. He felt light and airy. Like nothing could touch him.

He raised up his pale slender hand to examine it, make sure it really belonged to him. "It's me. Does this mean…? Have I become…important? My deepest wish…could it be that I am needed by another?"

"Maybe...just maybe...now that I'm alone...and he's gone...my feelings might actually belong to me. I feel it now. What she means to me. And to _me_ , not the demon inside of me yearning for the one inside of her. But me and her...our souls..."

"If we could meet again...things could be different...if it's possible...I'd like to tell her that I love her."

~

The Akatsuki headquarters were in a canyon on a river, a huge boulder blocking the entrance with two red posts on either side. We arrived at the same time as Gai-sensei's squad.

"AI!" Rock Lee shouted, and ran forward to give me the world's biggest hug.

We had stayed good friends over the last few years. Besides Naruto, he was easily my best friend. Tenten and I had also become close, and we hugged as well. Neji was still kind of to himself, so we just nodded at each other. (But him and Tenten were _totally_ a thing.)

Gai shook hands with Kakashi. "Fancy seeing you here, bro!"

"We doin' this, my man?" Kakashi said, motioning to the hideout.

"Oh yeah, baby. Takin' it all the way."

"They constantly make me uncomfortable," Neji said, pointing at Gai and Kakashi.

Rock Lee smiled eagerly. "They inspire me."

"I'll blow this rock open with my steam," I said, only thinking about the fact that Gaara was inside of there. "WATCH ME! OOH, WATCH ME, WATCH ME!"

"Jesus, Ai, hold on," Kakashi said. "Don't you see that seal on the front?"

"Well, yeah, I guess I do now that you mention it!"

"Pay attention, Ai!" Naruto said, bopping me over the head, but I was 98% sure he hadn't noticed it either.

"Neji, what's the diagnosis?" Gai asked, and I realized Neji was analyzing the scene with the Byakugan.

"Do you see Gaara?" I asked, shaking Neji's shoulder impatiently who I would normally never touch out of fear of the consequence.

Neji snapped back to us and shook me off of him, annoyed at the physical contact. "You are not permitted to _touch!_ All I know for sure is that there's a barrier in front of the door."

"That's all you got? Seriously?" I demanded.

"It's a Five Seal barrier," Chiyo remarked. "There will be five seals in this area. It can be removed if all of the tags are pulled at the same time."

"So let's find the rest!" Naruto asked. "Neji, can you work some magic here?"

Neji looked around, his purple eyes glowing and alert. "I found them. See? I rock."

"Okay, tell us where," Tenten said, ready to get going. I appreciated her eagerness to complete the mission. I was starting to get anxious.

"We need to hurry," I said, glancing at the boulder and whatever was happening behind it with fearful eyes.

Gai, Neji, Lee, and Tenten went to seek out the four tags. Gai had given Kakashi a wireless radio so he could tell him when they were all in position. Soon, we heard "I'm ready!" come out of the speaker a few times.

Kakashi positioned himself at the tag on the boulder, balancing on top of the red posts. "NOW!" he yelled, pulling the tag off.

I ran towards the boulder, summoning my steam chakra to my hands and with all my strength, I slammed my hand into the huge rock. It crumbled, leaving no barrier left.

Naruto and I rushed inside to assess the scene first, but it was emptier than I thought it would. A large, empty, dome-shaped rock cavern. No one was there…except….

Two members of the Akatsuki. A tall blonde with a ponytail who was a guy and another guy that looked like he was crouched on the ground. They were standing in front of a body. That had red hair.

I fell to my knees, instantly crushed. Like gravity suddenly decided to make me its main target.

"No, please," I cried. "NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

Naruto's eyes glowed red. "YOU TOTAL CREEPS!" The Nine-Tails was coming out, fueling his angry spirit. "HOW DARE YOU!"

Steam poured from my body as I felt my entire soul fall within me. It was strange; I felt Kokuo within me, her presence, but I felt her emptiness. Her void. Her loss. And then I felt my own.

"NOOOOOO!" I screamed, joining in Naruto's cries of anger. "I WILL F*CKING KILL YOU BOTH!"

I had never felt this way before. I felt like I wanted to tear out my own skin, tear the skin out of my enemies, I wanted to die. No, not die. Not before I made the people who hurt Gaara suffer inconceivably.

The blonde Akatsuki membered turned to his comrade. "Well, that was easy to figure out. So _they're_ the Jinchuuriki. Steam and the orange chakra. Check."

Kakashi looked pained. "They're so obvious," he told Chiyo.

"GAARA! WAKE UP! GAARA!" I screamed. "You can't die!"

The blonde one smiled at me. "Oh, he's dead. My poor little Five-Tails. The rumor may be true, Sasori. The One-Tail and the Five-Tail are stronger together."

"Sasori," Chiyo said, nodding at the one who was crouching low to the ground. He looked _seriously_ creepy. "My f*cking grandson."

"You're his grandma?" Kakashi exclaimed, gawking at her. "Oh, _man!_ "

"And I'm Deidara," the blonde one announced. "Now we all know each other! Great! Should we play Two Truths and a Lie as an icebreaker?"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed. "JUST SHUT UP! I'LL KILL YOU!"

My screams echoed throughout the cavern, and the cavern quickly began to fill with the smoky mist. It poured from me uncontrollably, automatically.

Deidara and Sasori watched it rise to the top in admiration. Deidara seriously clasped his hands like a little kid with glee. "Can't wait until that's ours," Deidara said dreamily. "It's so _beautiful._ "

"Ai, cool off," Kakashi warned. "You need to keep your head clear."

"The Nine-Tails is supposed to be more powerful," Sasori was saying. "But I think the Five-Tails is wicked cute. I mean the actual beast. The girl is cute, too, I guess. But it's like half-horse, half-dolphin, it's really cool. And the One-Tail may be strengthened by the Five-Tails. So, which one to pick?"

"Why not both?" Deidara said casually as if they were picking out cereal for the week.

"HELLO! WE ARE RIGHT HERE, YOU ABSOLUTE SCUMBAGS!" Naruto exploded at them.

"Because that's not the mission," Sasori growled at Deidara. "Stick to the plan, Stan."

"Come on, trust me, _maaaan_ ," Deidara said, like him and Sasori had been best buds for years. "We want both."

"STOP TALKING ABOUT US AS IF WE AREN'T HERE!" I screamed.

They both disappeared, and then behind us we saw Deidara mount a humungous white bird. He had Gaara with him, stuffing him inside of the bird's mouth as I watched in horror.

"You coming with me, girlie?" Deidara asked, flying towards the door. "I have your bae."

I didn't think twice; I sprinted towards the opening, my footsteps splashing the shallow water echoing around the cave. Naruto followed me, unwilling to let me go alone. I didn't know if Sasori, Kakashi, or Chiyo would come too. But I wasn't letting Gaara out of my sight.

Naruto caught up with me. He looked absolutely rabid, and it actually made me feel better to know I wasn't alone in my absolute fury, despair, and pain.

 _How can I live if we are parted?_ I thought to myself as I watched Gaara continue to get swallowed whole by the white bird the size of a whale.

Deidara hovered above us, grinning. "Man, you two are the _cutest_ though!" he said to us, his blonde ponytail blowing in the wind. "Are you guys, like, dating?"

"NO!" Naruto and I shouted.

"Oh, yeah, because Ai loves Gaara. Sorry. I can't keep up with the drama these days. Wait, are you guys brother and sister? That'd be even _cuter!"_

Naruto and I shrugged. "We wish," Naruto admitted.

Deidara grinned. "Aw, what a shame y'all have to be the hosts! Gaara was hot, too. He had that _edgy_ look to him, huh?"

"SHUT UP!" I shouted at him, enraged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM!"

Deidara flipped his ponytail. "Man, you're fiery. I see what Itachi means. You _would_ be too much woman for Sasuke."

What the HELL? Did Itachi really just say that? Ew!

"SHUT UP!" Naruto shouted this time. "YOU'RE REALLY ANNOYING!"

"Okay, wow, just trying to get to know you while I can," Deidara said, acting like a brat. "Your time is limited, you know? Sadly."

I raised my right hand, and a slew of steam flew from my body up into the air towards him. Deidara had to sink his bird down fast to dodge. "PHEW! FEELIN' THE HEAT!" he shouted.

Naruto kicked off the canyon wall and flew towards Deidara with his Rasengan. Deidara dodged once again on his stupid white bird.

"WHAT EVEN IS THAT?" I shouted. "A PIGEON?"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "You have no eye for art. Silly girl."

"Oh, God, he's an _artist_ ," I complained to Naruto. "They're the worst." Then I noticed Deidara didn't have a left arm. "What happened to your arm, dude?"

Deidara looked angry for the first time. "Your boyfriend crushed it with his sand," he said evenly. "I'm a little bitter. Oh! I'm sorry! Do you want to see him? I'm _so_ rude."

The white bird opened its mouth, and inside I saw the body of Gaara, his eyes closed. He looked peaceful. But lifeless. And that was what was freaking me out. He couldn't be dead. No way.

"COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME, YOU B*STARD!"

Naruto clasped my arm. "Ai, he's trying to get to you. Let's come up with a plan, come on! We will DEFINITELY get him back!"

"Okay," I said, tucking my hair behind my ears that had come loose in my rage. I nodded, swallowing, trying to get my head in the game. Then I had an idea. "Naruto. Let's do this."

Naruto and I both ran towards the edge of the cliff, ready to jump off and attack Deidara. We looked at each other right before the edge, right before we took the plunge. Naruto kicked off the edge, aiming for Deidara, the Rasengan dangerously swirling in his hands. I did the same, feigning like I was also aiming for Deidara, and while Deidara went to dodged Naruto's attack, I instead hit the bird towards the back end with my steam.

The bird went down, literally smoking, and Deidara jumped off of the bird, aiming for the soft tops of the trees. Naruto and I managed to land on the bird, air rushing to our faces as the bird slammed into the ground. Both of us landed hard and toppled over, but we were okay. Naruto summoned three shadow clones that instantly began tearing up the bird in the front to dig out Gaara.

"GAARA!" I cried as a huge hole was made and I was able to make out his face inside. "PLEASE! PLEASE WAKE UP!"

I sobbed uncontrollably, finally realizing that he wasn't going to wake up. Deidara appeared at the scene. "Yeah…told you he's dead."

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE OVER!" I screamed. I didn't even feel like myself; something else took over. I felt Kokuo and I become one single entity, and I rushed at Deidara, faster and harder than I've ever done before.

"Oh, sh*t," he said as I came upon him, knowing that he wouldn't have time to dodge.

He was hit with my steam and fell to the ground below. It was a deadly hit; I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if he was killed. Steam was uncontrollably releasing from every pore of my body; sweat was dripping down my face, my back, my arms, my legs.

I felt wild. I turned around and came to face-to-face with Naruto. I gasped, for he looked like me. He had a murderous orange glow, his eyes bigger and bright red. His teeth were barred like a fox.

We looked at each other, understanding each other. The way only two Jinchuurikis could.

Deidara wasn't dead. He gathered himself to his feet below and looked up at us, shaking his head. "Goddamn! You two are _crazy_. I'm not ready for this all by myself. Peace out, girl scouts."

And then he was gone.

My mind suddenly flashed back to Gaara. In an instant, I was back at the bird, dragging him out of it. I laid him flat on the tree trunk, running my hands through his hair lightly.

Suddenly, Kakashi and Chiyo were by our sides. "Where's Deidara?" Kakashi asked. "Sasori is dead."

"You killed him?" Naruto asked, shocked. "Deidara just ran away."

I ran my shaky hands over Gaara's face, shoulders, arms. I checked all of his vitals, like Tsunade had taught me, to confirm he was truly gone. Tears spilled down my cheeks and onto to Gaara's clothes. Every part of my body shook violently. _He was dead. Gaara was dead._

"F*ck," I said, clutching my head. "WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE? F*CK!" I screamed out in pure frustration and rage. _This was so unfair. WHY?!_

Then, Gai-sensei's squad arrived at the scene, all unharmed but had been through something real rough. "What happened?" Tenten demanded. "Is Gaara…?"

"He's gone," Naruto said darkly. "The Shukaku was extracted already. Which kills the host."

"It could've been us," I said hopelessly. "And it should've been _me_. Not him."

Chiyo walked over and bent down next to me over Gaara. "You love him that much," she said heavily. "That you would give your life for him?"

"Yes," I choked out. "I love him that much. But I can't do that. No one can do something like that. I think I'm _so_ strong. But I'm weak. Because I couldn't save him. He saved my life before. A few years ago. And now I can't save him."

I felt his loss so heavily. It was more intense than anything I'd ever felt. More so when I lost my parents. More so than then I thought I lost Sasuke in the Hidden Mist. Worse than anything I could've ever imagined. It felt like my heart and soul had been ripped from me.

Chiyo leaned over Gaara, nudging me out of the way. She held out her hands over his chest. Blue chakra appeared between her hands and his body.

"What are you doing?" Tenten asked curiously.

"You can't revive him," Naruto told her, his voice cracking. "Give it up. You'll just make Ai more upset."

"That's not medical ninjutsu," I said, surprised.

"She's going to bring Gaara back to life," Kakashi whispered quietly.

"What?" I asked, my eyes darting back and forth. "Is that possible?"

"We must move his body," Chiyo demanded, and Kakashi and Naruto helped her lift Gaara's body up, and we all traveled to a nearby field.

"How?" I asked once Chiyo was all set up.

"Only I can perform this jutsu," Chiyo said deeply. "In exchange for my own life."

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted. "You'd do that? Granny!"

"WHY?" I asked, crying again. "Why would you?"

"Because like I said, Gaara deserved better than what he got," she said. "And with you now…and that _thing_ gone…he has a chance to be happy. The Sand village needs him much more than me."

She started breathing heavily, and I could tell her chakra was weakening. I ran over to her and leaned over the opposite side of Gaara's body. "Use me," I pleaded. "I can give you my chakra."

Chiyo looked at me with heavy eyes, like she was understanding me for the first time. "Give me your hands, child."

I placed my warm hands on her cold, shaky ones. She grabbed mine tightly, and I felt my chakra release into her. The glowing blue light strengthened, and I felt myself be drained. But in the best kind of way.

And it was symbolic in a way; Gaara drained me of my emotion, my life, my heart, my soul, my love. But it hurt so good.

"Oh, I wish you a beautiful life," Granny Chiyo whispered to me heavily. More tears spilled out of my eyes. "Gaara has had a miserable one so far. But you and Naruto…you've changed him in a lot of ways. Please take care of my Gaara for me, since you love him that much."

"I will," I promised, and she started to fade.

~

Gaara woke again in the glowing, bright nothingness. "Who am I…?"

"Am I still…?"

"…Alone?"

Then she was there in front of me, and the entire world, the entire universe, froze in place.

She was glorious; she was beautiful. Was she even real? Could it be that she was real? And could she be _mine?_

Am I dead?

 _Not if I don't want to be, perhaps._

And I want to be where she is.

~

Sometime during Chiyo's jutsu, a hundred of the Sand village ninja arrived as backup, Kankuro and Temari included. They had gathered around the scene, watching Chiyo give her life for Gaara, waiting breathlessly for their Kazekage to come back to life to protect them again.

I stayed by Chiyo's side the whole time, and it was intense to watch: the life be drained out of someone. I had used quite a bit of my own chakra as well, and I was beginning to feel rather dizzy.

Suddenly, after a few hours, Chiyo collapsed. Tenten rushed forward and grabbed her, checking her for any signs of life. I felt my own body give out, and I laid down on my back next to Gaara, exhausted, hoping that it had been enough. _Please work. Please work._

I heard the crowd erupt into a roar, but I couldn't infer if it was positive or negative. I heard people rush forward, and other people trying to keep the crowd back. I hoisted myself up, turning to look at Gaara, hardly daring to breathe.

Gaara was sitting up, surrounded by Kankuro and Temari. They were hugging him and crying. The crowd was running, yelling, jumping, screaming all around us. Naruto appeared in front of my face, and when he spoke to me, it came out in slow motion, and his face got blurry.

Then I fainted.

~

Dazzling stars. A sparkling marble staircase. Pink and purple clouds scattered in thick waves across a beautiful dark blue sky. I stood up, mesmerized by the sight.

But I had been here before.

This time, I rushed up to the staircase and pressed my body against the golden, glowing gate.

"KOKUO!" I shouted. "IT'S ME!"

"I know it's you," she said calmly, coming into view in all her white, majestic, five-tailed glory. "It's been a minute since you've visited."

"He's gone," I told Kokuo. "The Shukaku left Gaara."

"Yes," Kokuo said simply. She sounded way too calm. "I know. The Akatsuki has him now."

"Are you...like, okay?" I asked her, awkwardly. "Gaara might be able to still be alive..."

Kokuo nodded. "Yes. He'll come back."

"Well...um...why aren't you upset?"

"The Shukaku is not lost into the void or harmed in any way. He has just been...transferred. And it's better off that he's not with that boy anymore. They were no good for each other."

I thought about this carefully. "Are we good for each other?" I asked her hesitantly.

I swear she smiled. "Better than I expected."

~

When I woke up, I knew too much time hadn't passed for the crowd was still screaming around me. My eyes flickered open, and up they stared into the cold, icy blue ones. A pale face formed, the symbol of the kanji "love" on the forehead…

"You've alive," I whispered, my lower lip trembling. "Thank God."

"Thank _you_ ," he growled, leaning closer to me. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Don't you get it by now?" I told him, sitting up. I sat up too fast and my vision blackened a little from the rush. "I can't live **without you**."

Gaara's hands reached for my face, and I exploded with pure ecstasy at his touch. "I've been so distant the last three years…I would've died without ever…" he whispered.

"It's okay," I told him. "You've been distant the whole time I've ever known you. It's kind of your thing."

Gaara ran his fingers down my cheek, down to my neck, holding me there barely by the tips of his fingers.

"Tasura Ai, I love you."

"Damn, there goes our chances," complained one of his fangirls from nearby. There was quite a few of them, actually. I barely paid attention to them. Of course girls liked him. But this was my moment with him.

I smiled, moving my face forward slightly and stopping myself, asking him permission. His face curled into a smile too, and he met me halfway, our lips colliding in a soft, passionate kiss. My hands found his hair, clinging to the back of his neck. His arms circled around my waist, holding me close like he didn't want to let me go. I didn't think it was possible to feel this blissful. I had been waiting for another kiss with him for years, ever since the first...

I felt my soul burst into butterflies, rainbows, stars, sunshine...all that was beautiful in the world. Gaara told me he loved me. Gaara was kissing me. Gaara had his arms around me. This couldn't be real. But it was.

Before heading back to the village, we all gathered around and said a prayer for Granny Chiyo. I cried throughout the service, knowing that I'd never be able to repay her what she did for Gaara and I.

One of the most amazing things I've ever seen to this day was the response when we got back to the Sand village. All of the villagers who hadn't been there to see Gaara resurrected gave him such a loud, joyous homecoming that it was impossible not to feel part of the sense of pride, love, and admiration for the Kazekage. Gaara was genuinely surprised and touched by the reaction of his people, and I was just lucky to be there to have experienced it with him.

The village celebrated together, and then came together as an entire community to pay homage to Granny Chiyo. There was a candlelight vigil at nightfall, and Naruto and I said a few words on her behalf. Both Leaf squads were given rooms for the night at the Kazekage's personal estate. It was so large, it probably could've housed a third of the village itself.

A woman who worked at the estate showed me my room and gave me bedclothes for the night, a long cream-colored nightdress. I was still in my fighting clothes: my headband, my kimono, netting, socks, and shoes. I changed clothes slowly, taking my time with my sore muscles. I folded my clothes neatly on top of a wooden dresser. I pulled the nightdress on, letting it flare out at the bottom. I untied my headband and placed it carefully next to my clothes. _Mission completed._ I undid my now extremely messy braid, and let my hair flow down in waves.

I wondered what Gaara was doing right now. Probably getting some well-needed rest, right? But my heart pounded, and I knew I was going to be restless, in the same manor as him, knowing he was so close when he hadn't been this close in so long. Knowing he was alive. Knowing that he had kissed me earlier, and I wanted more.

I was barefoot, unarmed, and in my nightgown, but I decided to venture out. I had no idea where Gaara's bedroom would be in this estate, and it was probably inappropriate to go to it in the middle of the night, it might even be guarded, but I needed to see him.

I grabbed a candle off the nightstand and blew into gently, sparking a flame with my fire chakra. I walked towards the door. As soon as I opened it to peek into the now dim-lit hallway, my view was blocked by someone standing at the door.

I gasped. _It was Gaara_. "Oh!" I breathed, the fire in my candle going out.

"Going somewhere?" he asked me, smirking. He cocked an eyebrow.

"I…was going to find you," I confessed, hoping I sounded sure of myself. I wanted him to think I wasn't afraid. I mean, I had never been afraid of him. But I wanted him to know I wasn't scared of what came next. With us. "I want to be with you."

Gaara eyes looked into mine with desire, and then I realized he might just feel the exact same way as me. "Come with me," he whispered, wrapping his pale, cool fingers around my wrist, and leading me down the hallway.

I relighted my candle and followed him breathlessly down the dark hallway like it was a dream. No, a fantasy. A fantasy coming true. He looked back at me a couple of times, his bright blue eyes piercing through my soul. He had always thrilled me, but now it was becoming more than just a picture in my head.

We went up three flights of stairs, across a large entranceway, and into a hidden crevice that turned into a spiral tower staircase. My candle went out sometime in the staircase due to my heavy breathing as my heart started to pound out of my chest. I followed him the rest of the way up the stairs in the complete darkness.

Then we entered such a magnificent room that I literally turned around in a circle to take everything. There were great, tall stone walls that curved and twisted so that the room was anything but square and straight. There was large, dark-colored wood furniture including a four-post bed with large red curtains pulled around it.

"Wow, they do it big here in the Sand," I commented.

"It's a little much," Gaara said disdainfully. "But it's home now."

I turned to Gaara. "I've really missed you. Ever since we met, it's been pretty hard to be away from you."

Gaara stepped closer to me, and my heart raced. It seemed like he had put his hesitation to be near me aside; he had no problem closing the distance between us anymore.

Gaara nodded. "I couldn't let you in until I knew…that it wasn't just the Shukaku trying to manipulate things…that I wouldn't hurt you."

"Today you almost died," I said, inching even closer to him so that our bodies almost touched. "You know how much _that_ hurt me? Gaara, I can't stand being alive a minute longer without being yours."

Gaara grabbed my hands. "I came to get you tonight because…it's the first night of my whole life that I can fall asleep. Without worrying about the Shukaku killing anyone. I wanted you to be here, with me."

We walked over to the velvety drapes that hung around the bed. Gaara opened them, letting me crawl into bed first. I dove under the gold covers gratefully, feeling the exhaustion of the day hit me. Gaara settled his tall, chiseled frame beside me. I felt electric at him being so close.

We both lay on our backs, staring up at the ceiling. I couldn't stand not touching him so my hand soon found his arm and I trailed down to his wrist than to his hand, drawing tiny circles into his palm, enjoying the thrilling sensation of touching him however I felt like touching him.

He sighed heavily after a while. "It wasn't fair of me to make you wait these years. I'm sorry."

I inched closer, gratefully letting him take me into his arms. He was cold, but I was warm, and I could feel my heat transfer to him quickly.

"I love you too. I always have. You know that, right?" I whispered.

I looked up so I could see his face. He grabbed my chin with his thumb and forefinger, pulling me into a kiss. A kiss that told me a lot of things. The way his fingers laced into my hair told me he didn't want to let me go. The way his tongue explored my mouth told me he wanted me, he wanted to know me. The way his lips would suck on mine, savoring every moment, told me he needed me.

I didn't know it was possible to feel this happy.

We were both exhausted so after a while I put my head down on his chest. I listened to his heartbeat; it had quickened its pace since before we started kissing. I smiled to myself at this fact until I realized he could probably feel mine too, pounding against his chest. His hand ran down my arm, sending goosebumps and shivers down my spine and butterflies flying in my stomach, and it settled on my hip.

"You risked everything to save me," Gaara said heavily. "I've never known that kind of faith."

I hugged him tighter, the feeling of him next to me, the tangibleness of his body, his mind, his soul...still unbelievable. I whispered, "I die **without you.** "

We fell asleep together, the first night Gaara would ever be able to sleep soundly knowing the Shukaku was no longer there to torment him.


End file.
